While Turkey’s wheat and barley production in marketing year 2024-25 is forecast to remain unchanged, the country’s corn output is expected to drop by 1.2 million tonnes year-on-year as farmers switch to growing more profitable crops, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
In its Global Agricultural Information Network report, released April 4, the FAS projected a 15% decline in corn production to 7.2 million tonnes.
“Corn area harvested in 2024-25 is expected to significantly contract year-to-year to 560,000 hectares as farmers switch to growing more cotton, sugar beets, potatoes and other row crops,” the FAS said.
With corn production declining, the agency sees corn exports plummeting from 2.4 million tonnes this year to 850,000 tonnes in 2024-25.
In the same report, the FAS projected Turkish wheat production unchanged from 2023-24 at 19.8 million tonnes as lower yields offset gains in harvested area. Imports are seen decreasing by 10% year-on-year to 9 million tonnes as domestic consumption is projected to fall by 300,000 tonnes.
“Because of the trade prohibitive tariff of 130% on imported wheat, which has been in place since last May, wheat imports this year are only being used by the pasta and flour re-export business,” the FAS said. “These imports come in at zero duty under the inward processing regime.”
Barely production and consumption are forecast to remain the same year-on-year at 8 million and 8.5 million tonnes, respectively. However, imports of barley in 2024-25 are expected to soar five times higher than this year’s total to 750,000 tonnes, the FAS said.
“The forecasted increase is in response to the expected drop in carryover stocks and assumes stable demand from domestic end-users and for transshipments,” the agency said.
